Device for recovering balls

ABSTRACT

The present invention patent comprises a method of installation, configuration and identification of a data transmission system for data collected inside a basketball and/or similar type of ball, said system consisting of a device intended for returning, directing or guiding balls that have been thrown, kicked or projected, to the position of origin or to a predefined location, said device having internal wheels, which are responsible for moving the ball to any position on the horizontal plane (X and Y axes), said wheels being powered by electric motors powered by batteries internally distributed in the ball, to ensure moment of inertia that is the same on all rotation and translation axes.

The current patent is about the installment, setting and identification of a transmission system of data collected from the inside of a basket ball (or any other balls similar to that), which consists of a device that is able to return, direct or guide the balls which have been thrown, kicked or projected towards its original position or towards a pre determined place.

The practice used in sports, mainly basketball, basically consists of successive throws towards the basket which has a metal base of adjustable height and a rim with a net, in this case, someone needs to retrieve the ball or the player himself does it.

There are some pieces of equipment which help retrieve the balls, but all of them aim at directing the balls via gravity or via a device which directs the ball towards the person who wants this ball at a specific location. Due to their robust size, these pieces of equipment are not adequate to set up, to store and to transport them.

. . . the technique a PI-9503274-6 dated Jul. 7, 1995 consists of the capture of a ball which has been thrown, a collector which also directs the ball and a spool of string attached to the waist of the pitcher. In the MU9100923-5 dated May 23, 2011 there is a supportive piece of equipment with a metal base with a net which retrieves the ball and takes it to the direction duct, which being interconnected with a brace, releases the balls to a positioning rail, where there is a sensor which activates the set, releasing and throwing the ball.

The U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,675 presents a mechanical toy ball which is described as an empty sphere which has a removable hatch through which a unit of conduction of the charged ball can be placed inside the sphere and removed from it. Being electrically or mechanically charged and can hold the shape of a single drive wheel attached to wheeled toy, being this toy guided by a prop or a device with a string which connects to the interior of the sphere.

The device to retrieve balls was developed in order to retrieve, direct or guide the thrown, kicked or projected ball toward the original position or to another pre determined place (position), demanding less work from people to have access to the balls which are far from its original position or a pre determined place (position), being able to direct the ball (1) to the place (position) he wants, through a guiding (2) (one or more wheels, spheres or any other running gears located inside the ball), rods (3) which guide the axis toward X,Y,Z, electric motors (4) and toward a device that indicates the location (position) of the ball, from which we can direct this ball toward the location we want through the communication between the ball with the base, (this base can be a wristband with aerials and buttons, smartphones or GPS watches).

The communication between the ball and the base is enabled through magnetic waves (Wifi, Bluetooth, radio, etc), where these internal ball directors, with charged batteries, turn electric energy into kinetic energy, making the whole set move to the targeted place. Therefore, there is no need to place nets, trays or any kind of equipment around the basket or target, just a remote control or a smartphone is needed to activate the retrieve or throw command.

Each of the internal balls is responsible for the movement in one of the cartesian axes, these wheels are fed (charged) by rechargeable or non-rechargeable batteries. The batteries, wheels and motors are distributed inside the ball in order to ensure a moment of equal inertia in all axes of rotation and translation.

The mechanism is operated by directing the ball to a person or to a pre determined place through internal motors placed inside the ball. When the ball approaches its target the internal wheels rotate the device in reverse, in order to stop the ball when it reaches its target.

-   -   The ball is thrown, kicked or projected by someone or a device.     -   When the user wants to program it, the ball returns to the place         where the user (or device) is.

The user has just to activate the retrieve ball button on the mobile, watch, wristband (or any other electronic device) which, through electromagnetic waves, allow the ball to go back or go toward the pre determined location.

The device to retrieve balls can be better understood through pictures which integrate the current report (description). It also has numeric references along with technical description, without limiting its setting to components which can be replaced by others, as long as they produce the same technical effect, keep the same proportions, dimensions and eventual types of trims inserted in its industrial production, where:

Picture 1 represents frontal perspective ball notch in the axes X,Y,Z both rotation and translation.

Picture 2 represents a frontal perspective of ball notch in axis Z.

Picture 3 represents a frontal perspective in ball notch in axes X,Y

The device is light and keeps its settings the size of an ordinary basket ball, or golf, or football, or American football, where technology makes all types of balls to go back or be directed towards its pre established position, unlike all the other solutions that require equipment attached to baskets, poles, nets, etc. This mechanism allows the ball to be directed toward any pre established position, it does not depend on the shape of the device as a guide. 

1- Device to retrieve ball which aims to retrieve, direct or conduct balls which are thrown, kicked or projected towards their original position (location) or towards a pre established location characterised by the fact that each one of the internal (2) wheels is responsible for the movement in one of the cartesian axes ensuring the inertia in all the axes X,Y,Z both rotation and translation. 2- Device to retrieve balls according to claim 1 characterised by rods (3) that direct the axes in all directions; electric motors (4) and a supportive retrieve device. 